Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-05-30

cuuIcu last evening ON
the occasion of the memorial services. which
were OF very impressive character. Seth
Williams Post attended ia body. PRAYER
was offered by Rev. ]. B. Jordan; scrin,u,e
reading, Rev. H. S. Whitman; PRAYER. Rev
a. Z. Skeele.> A select choir was in attend.
ance.
hev. u X. Palmer, psstor of the methodist
chufch, delivered the sermon, which va. =
tnoogntfui and scholarly discourse. ono nj
tue pest that has ever been heard in this civ
ne TOOK for his text First Peter, Al. Arm
yourselves likewise with the sam. mind -
Inc apostle addresses US as soldiers eplisted
Iof var and gives orders that we should arm
ourselves for the conflict. We are NOT voy
shippers of the war god Mars, but we recop.
nizs the idea to which he gives name the
martial idea
From philosophical considerations /, il.
OBVIOUS that man 10 a soldier in the presence
OF toe. Inquire what lie life, what i. aim.
ana how are its purposes to be realized To
the glad young life every sens. is an inlet of
JOY, and all nature regsles the happy vouth
IS ne sings and laughs and runs for the
giittering prizes of life, but brief trial proves
that the Epicurean philosophy does not meet
the wants OF mau or re ,ch the high aims
oi NE. Pleasure Is shy nymph, the more
she Is chased the more she runs. Study the
facts relating to mans constitution aud situa
lon ana build miniature world a little kos
mos and place within what is essential TO
mans development Man is cut OUT to
bigness, built upon plane, filled with as.
piratons, and has a sense of dependence that
maxes 1t impossible for him to be satisfied
with the limitations of the earth life. He is
being for worship and you must rear
temple he comes into the world ignorant
with world of mysteries before him, YOU
must build school house. His whole con
suuctlon marks him for a t0ler ard the " orld
Is before him 70 be subdued, let a workshop
OF immense proportions be Constructed.
But mao also appears upon the
scene az magazine of con
f1cting elements. Appetite and passion
ere marshslled ON one side and reason
and conscience upon the other, and this sol
der now thrust into life's battle walks the
floor for night to determine with which
armv he shall draw his sword If the fact,
relating to mans life compel you to place
within this world Of your building the temple,
the school, the Workshop, with no less con
elusive evidence they compel you to call your
engineer and lay out YOUR camp and battle
held. When you have provided all things
essential to your world, spring an arch over
the temple that shall reach from one horizon
to the other, and in illuminated letters look
ing heavenward place the sentence, this 10
Gods method of producing men" and another
looking esrthwsrd ''this is the true philoso.
ply of life"
Milton gave the bold imagery of facts
when he set spirits to hurting mountains upon
each other, and fighting with saltpetre.
History teaches that men have been born 10
conditions OF warfare, and many have teen
helpless to escspe; and it further proves that
there Ia some relation between war and the
worlds advancement. The relation OF war
to civilization, and the progress of christiani
ty. ls problem of no little interest and i'm
portance. Within the psst half century the
iron yoke of the Turk ia broken; the Mussul-
man gsllops from the Northern Mediterran-
can to the southern deserts. We witness tn.
unificstion of Germany. the freedom and
consolidation of the ltsiian States. India is
put under better sCt'.olmaster, the Chinese
wall ia broken, and the hosts of the Lord go
marching through armed with bibles and
loaves of bread. Three words, China, Chris.
tianity and Commerce represent the progress
of the far East. Light has shone into the dark
continent of Africa.
nsries, colleges and schools of varied
grades have been built in all the radiating
centres of the South where ignorance regned
before. Our soldiers fought for the defense
and preservation Of the government, but the
rights of man was the platform on which
they wheeled their guns, and the foundation
standeth sure. We should not fail to weigh
the fact that whether man build his cottage
on the n'ain submits of Maine or rear
his cabin amid the everglades of Florida, or
retire to the canyons and bavous of the
Yosemite, or navigate our ocean like lakes,
or bask in Pacific sunlight reflected from
of gold, il he anywhere breathes
the wild free air of this new world, and stands
under the folds of the star spangled banner,
the sacrifices of the Union soldiers made it
impossible for that man to be a slave. If we
cannot justify the wars of the century, we
are bound to admit that war has been the
antecedent of the marked progress of the age.
1t has furnished the conditions of fair play
for . better civilization, it has been the great
breaking up pillow that has thrown up the
barren coil for cultivation.
When we enter the domain of religion the
militant idea confronts us al the beginning,
the bible language is sharp and concise.
Thou shalt bruise and be bruised. "God is
a man of war" Our hymnology and evangel-
iziug sermons are full of it. The grand hero
who. in the midst of peril, sword and famine
said, "We are more than conQuerers through
him that loved us, proved his faith, when in
sight of the spires and domes of the Eternal
City, the executioner appeared, and the
victorious warrior shouted. | have fought the
good fight henceforth there is q
crown OF life laid up for me.
But what is our equipment for the conflict
Arm yourselves with the same mind. Jesus
was an innocent, accomplishing sufferer.
why arm ourselves ? Meekly submit, hero
ically contend. The truth is maintained by
holding both members of the paradox with
an eQunl balance. As the side of conflict
now engages our attention, and our text
points to the mental and subjective outfit, we
look at the beginning for the basal elements
upon which all must rest, and find standing
first. a complete abandonment of self inter
est. In the condescension and suffering of
Christ at every point appears forget'upess
of self in his enthusiasm for his cause. A
soldier who has reached this point has passed
all debate concerning obedience, loyalty and
danger, and doubtless many q volunteer at
the time of his enlistment passed the crucial
test. While there is special reason for hon
oring those whose lives were given as holo-
caust upon our country's altar. true heroism
does not depend upon any accident of the
battle field and the unseen line of honor is
not drawn between the living and the dead,